Monday, May 18, 2015

Southern Style for Spring, Y’all

Spring is, after all, THE perfect season to
burst into color and pattern, and nobody does it better than our lovely cousins
south of the Mason-Dixon Line.

﻿

Table Set for Brunch in the Garden

I have always had a special affinity for
the South, where men are gentlemen and women are ladies.Rudeness is frowned upon, but frankness is
celebrated; there is a difference between the two, and they know just how to
negotiate it with true southern style.

Believe it or not, there is a true
complicity between the southern woman in her flowered frock and the French
woman in her little black dress.They
are, in many ways, kindred spirits.French expat friends, who have lived in the South, will bear this
out.The famous charm and graciousness
of the southern woman is not lost on the French.Her femininity may be a bit more frilly and
her hair a bit more poofy than her French cousin, but they have a lot in
common.They both take great delight in
looking their best and smelling delicious.They may be soft-spoken, but there’s an inner core as tough as a day-old
biscuit or baguette.Their insults are
subtle but razor sharp, which means they can cut you to ribbons and you never
feel a thing, until you see the blood.

Southernism: “Say
what you want about the south, but no one ever retires and moves up north.”

Photo by Paul Costello

SOUTHERNISM: "WE LIKE EVERY TYPE OF FLOWER, BUT MOSTLY -- THE WILD KIND."

Do you recognize this lovely southern flower?Actress Reese Witherspoon, who hails from
Nashville, Tennessee, thought it was time to showcase the southern style that
she grew up with and dearly loves.Anyone who uses her grandmother’s china every day has a lot to teach us
about family and tradition, two highly-prized virtues of southern culture.

So, she launched Draper James, named after
her grandparents, an on line boutique that celebrates her heritage. (She will soon be opening a store in her
native Nashville.)

Brunch with friends is always a special occasion,
especially when dressed in lovely outfits from Draper James.

The Belle Meade in sunny yellow magnolia is the
perfect little sun dress for any occasion, from lunches and garden parties to
backyard weddings.Just add a brightly-colored
clutch and great hat with a cluster of magnolias and you will be the belle of any
backyard wedding.

Note the longer hem in the above picture with Reese
and her friends, which may be a more appropriate length for those of us d’un certain âge, n’est-ce pas?

The Kiawah cover up in magnolia rose is a great piece
to throw over your swimsuit or over a sleeveless Tee with a pair of white
pants.The drawstring waist is a
figure-flattering detail, and the fringed edges, which remind me of my grandmother’s
lace tablecloth, add a touch of old-fashioned femininity.

Draper James pays tribute to the French influence that
is evident throughout the South, particularly in surnames, such as Beauregard
and Beaulieu.This “Pierre Renoir Boat
Hat,” which the French call a canotier,
can be found in so many of the artist’s most famous paintings. And may I say that it never looked cuter than on the adorable Reese. Were Pierre Auguste still with us, I'm sure he would take one look at her in this canotier and run for his pots of paint.

Of course, southern style at Draper James doesn’t come
cheap, but then, you are buying into an idealized lifestyle as seen through the
eyes of a young lady who has lived it.

Ralph Lauren has been doing exactly the same thing
successfully for years, and he was born and raised in the Bronx, the son of
Jewish immigrant parents, Fraydl and Frank Lifshitz.

6 comments:

I do love the south, with their manners and graciousness. And I think you're right, there are similarities between the south and France, even though they're not obvious at first.Love Reese Witherspoon.

Dearest Marie-Thérèse,Lovely post and Reese is quite a person for doing this!Yes, especially the South comes to life in the summer as things show even more so.We love this Southern Charm and yes, it has something of the French country charm.Hugs to you,Mariette

I do love the south for all those reasons you stated!! I have a hunch the lovely yellow dress is shown on a model abot 6'2" which may explasin how short it looks.One of my favorite expressions I've heard is "Bless your heart" which mean anything but!Lovely post!!!xoxo

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